37.082 Coleophora asteris (Sea-aster Case-bearer)
ws: 10-15mm; Jun-Sep; sea aster (Aster tripolium); NS-A on saltmarsh on S&E coasts of England
Coleophora asteris §1 female
ID: The drawing in MBGBI3 (plate 14 fig 30) and the images at UK moths show the veins to be more clearly marked than in specimens §1 or §2. I have keyed this species 2 ways: i) Forewing with longitudinal white/pale streaks, with oblique streaks on or between veins extending to costa and with scattered fuscous scales >12 species. ii) Forewing with longitudinal white/pale streaks; pale streaks obscure or overlaid with fuscous scales so that only the pale costal strak is distinct; streaks overlaid with fuscous scales > C.asteris/saxicolella/sternipennella.
Male genitalia: unique in possession of long paired processes arising from the transtilla.
Female genitalia: unique in having a substantial pouch of the introitus vaginae extending beyond (anterior to) the origin of the ductus bursae and from which the ductus bursae arises on the left side. The only other species that shows a combination of bursa copulatrix with thorn and scobinate patch, posterior ductus bursae heavily scobinate and a long incision in the subgenital plate is C.virgaureae. MBGBI3 does not show C.virgaureae. The RES checklist treats C.virgaureae as synonymous with C.obscenella which is shown in MBGBI3 (fig 79d) as having expanded bulbs at the posterior end of the introitus vaginae, with the ductus bursae arising more or less centrally and no expansion of the bulbs anterior to the origin of the ductus bursae. Both Dissection Group and Lepiforum.de show C.obscenella and C.virgaureae to be diagnosably different based on the female genitalia: C.obscenella shows the right hand bulb extending slightly anterior to the origin of the ductus bursae which arises slightly on the left; C.virgaureae shows the right hand bulb slightly lower and larger than the left hand bulb with the ductus bursae arising more or less centrally (similar to the MBGBI3 drawing labelled as C.obscenella).
Male genitalia: unique in possession of long paired processes arising from the transtilla.
Female genitalia: unique in having a substantial pouch of the introitus vaginae extending beyond (anterior to) the origin of the ductus bursae and from which the ductus bursae arises on the left side. The only other species that shows a combination of bursa copulatrix with thorn and scobinate patch, posterior ductus bursae heavily scobinate and a long incision in the subgenital plate is C.virgaureae. MBGBI3 does not show C.virgaureae. The RES checklist treats C.virgaureae as synonymous with C.obscenella which is shown in MBGBI3 (fig 79d) as having expanded bulbs at the posterior end of the introitus vaginae, with the ductus bursae arising more or less centrally and no expansion of the bulbs anterior to the origin of the ductus bursae. Both Dissection Group and Lepiforum.de show C.obscenella and C.virgaureae to be diagnosably different based on the female genitalia: C.obscenella shows the right hand bulb extending slightly anterior to the origin of the ductus bursae which arises slightly on the left; C.virgaureae shows the right hand bulb slightly lower and larger than the left hand bulb with the ductus bursae arising more or less centrally (similar to the MBGBI3 drawing labelled as C.obscenella).
Dissection
Male genitalia
Female genitalia
§1 Foulness, Essex; 09/09/2012; female; fw 7.7mm
§2 Foulness, Essex, 02/09/2012; male; fw 7.3mm
All images © Chris Lewis
§2 Foulness, Essex, 02/09/2012; male; fw 7.3mm
All images © Chris Lewis
Page published 13/09/2012 (§1) | Text amended 26/12/2014
